Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-06
PROGRESS OF RESTRICTION.
The Movement Against Whisky at This
Time In the United States.


The Movement Against Whisky at This
Time in the United States.
St. Louis Globe Democrat.
The alarm which has been manifested
by the leading liquor dealers throughout
the country the past week is one of the
most significant and encouraging signs of
the times. Representatives of the whisky
interest realize at last that their industry
is in peril, and are taking measures to
protect themselves. During nearly all
the years which have interviewed between
the time Of the organization Of the first
temperance society in the United
States and the early portion
of the present year the liquor
men considered themselves mas
| be sure, that they felt some fear when
the early crusade against the rum evil
was inaugurated about half century
ago, but the emotion was successfully
transformed into contempt, amusement
and Indifference as they realized their
own powers and the weakness of their
foes. But all this has been changed
since the beginning of the present year.
The old arrogance and swagger has de-
parted, and in it's place has appeared
decided manifestation of dread at the
perils by which they have suddenly found
| themselves confronted.
| Within the past two or three days the
whisky element of Louisville has raised
| $4,000 as q campaign fund to combat the
temperance agitation which has, to them,
at last assumed alarming proportions.
| Cincinnati is expected to make a large
contribution also, and the ST. Louis
| liquor industry Is to be asked at once to
make liberal expenditure in behalf of
the cause. The Western Whisky Pool
! will, no doubt, be required to furnish
other thousands of dollars, while the
Liquor Mems National Protective AssO-
ciation is relied on to provide sum at
least partially commensurate with the
| interest which it possesses in maintaining
| the rum traffic at its present limits.
It must be conceded that the liquor ele-
ment has good cause for alarm. The
country is aroused regarding the extent
and enormity of the whisky evil as it has
never been aroused before. The money
which Louisville has raised and which st
Louis is expected to raise is for use in
combating the prohibition crusade in
Texas. But the Texas movement would
[ not be considered perilous to the whisky
| interest if it were at ell peculiar to that
commonwealth. 1t is the fact that
Texas is only one of many states
in which prohibition has become
the controlling issue of the
time, which renders the situation so full
of portent to the dealers in rum. In some
sections the battle against whisky takes
the form of local option, IN others high
| license, and in still others total pF0hibt-
ton. But in some one of these ,phases q
war is beginning to be made to restrict
the evils of the rum trade such as the
country has never known in al it's previ-
GUS history.
| Heretofore the whisky men have relied
upon the support of the Democratic party
| to protect them in their unholy vocation.
In most of the large cities of the country
I that party predominates, and In those
places the liquor curse is seen in all it's
| hideousness. But the aroused moral SEN
| timent of the country has affected even
that organization, and at the present time
we see Democratic Georgia Waging as de-
termlned war of hostility against rum as
is being prosecuted in the Republican
states of Maine, Iowa and Kansas, while
Republican Michigan and Democratic
Texas fight shoulder to shoulder in their
endeavor to secure the passage of pro-
| QlOlGOry amenumSuL LO buS bIdbe COnSLlGu-
| ton.
1t is not likely, of course, that Texas,
at its coming election, will declare in ia
vor of prohibition. The prohibitory
amendment will probabably fail also in
Tennessee as it has just failed in Michi-
gan. But the vote, undoubtedly will be
close, and the triumph for the whisky
men, if they should gain q triumph at all,
will be barren enc. The forces which
are arraved against the liquor evil are the
forces of law, order and morality, and the
ultimate victory of those influences is as
certain as the vitality and stability of
the principle which is steadily and ire
sistibly impelling society to higher and
grander development. This victory may
not mean triumph for the particular
species of repression termed prohibition.
Indeed, it probably will not. 1t is much
more likely to take some form which will
unite the features of local option and high
license. The liquor industry will not be
suppressed, but wholesome and needed
restraints will be thrown around it, it will
cease to be dominant factor in Ameri-
can politics, and those who follow 1t will
be compelled to obey the law, like the re-
mainder of their felloW-citizens.